Solar
Adding value to the global solar industry through leading integrated gases and chemical supply solutions

Solar manufacturers are looking for ways to improve yield and cell efficiency and lower manufacturing costs overall. This calls for a strong, reliable, and knowledgeable partner that offers dedicated solutions and a single point of contact for the wide range of specialist materials used in photovoltaic production processes.

Partner of choice

Linde’s commitment to clean energy and its global gas and engineering capabilities make it the materials technology partner of choice for solar-cell manufacturers on any scale and in any location. Our technologies and solutions help photovoltaic manufacturers move beyond grid parity to green parity and reduce cost per watt through innovative gas and chemical technologies.

Linde's offer includes:

An extended product portfolio, a response to the needs of our customers, and a solid supply chain with the ability to deliver our products to any place in the world

Strong gas engineering competence and chemical delivery systems at the customer site

Support for technology development with a know-how developed over many years in the photovoltaic industry and through working with several different partners such as equipment manufacturers and end users

Portfolio and supply chain

As a global gas and material supplier, Linde leverages its global reach to offer the full range of gas and chemical products to support all crystalline silicon cell manufacturing processes. This includes:

Exact requirements vary depending on the process and manufacturing region.

Linde has gathered incomparable expertise in a global supply chain over the years and is able to deliver products to any place in the world. Currently, massive investments are being made in Southeast Asia and Linde is well positioned to provide a complete and secure supply chain in this area.

Strong focus on technology development Linde is pioneering new products and technologies to help the PV industry improve solar cell efficiencies and manufacturing productivity. As part of our commitment to the latest process technologies, we are currently driving the trend from wet to dry processing. Building on our expertise in thin-film silicon solar, our dry processing technologies are enabling smarter crystalline silicon manufacturing processes.

EuroPlas Project working with companies such as Meyer Burger, where molecular fluorine is being used for dry texturization of silicon wafers

Linde is also well-prepared for future technology transitions such as n-type cells, which use different materials.

Linde can supply all the gases necessary for the very promising technology of heterojunction, which can deliver very high efficiencies. From our development activities in thin film PV and the display industry, we have gathered in-depth knowledge on process and gas applications that are particularly suitable for heterojunction cell manufacturing. We can also work with you to help reduce your costs, increase productivity, and further improve cell efficiency.

We also offer hardware and expert engineering and materials management services. Here we help our customers to minimize downtime and risks by ensuring safe and smooth process flows and by regularly sharing our detailed gas and chemical knowledge.